Automatic pintle closing device for loose leaf binders



Oct. 22, 1935.

P. o, UNGER AUTOMATLG PINTLE CLOSING DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed June 4, 1932 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC PINTLE CLOSING DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Paul 0. Unger, Glen Ellyn, 111., assignor to Wilson- J ones Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 4, 1932, Serial No. 615,269

the record book type and more particularly to mechanism for automatically moving the. pintle slides to closed position when the binder is closed.

Heretofore it has been necessary for a person using a record book to exercise great care to close the pintle slides before attempting to put the book away. If the pintle slides were not carefully closed the contents of the book would generally spill when the book was moved.

It is an object of this invention to simplify the handling of loose leaf binders of the record book type by providing the binder with automatic means for closing the pintle slides so that mere closing of the covers of the binder insures closing of the pintle slides.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple mechanism to accomplish this result that will not interfere with the normal operation of the binder and will not materially change the appearance of the binder. It is a further object of this invention to provide means to facilitate alignment of the pintles with corresponding apertures in the binder posts when the pintles are being engaged with the binder posts. It is a further object of this invention to provide means for permanently locking the binder when it is no longer necessary to remove or insert leaves. Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loose leaf binder illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the sheath showing the pintle slide and associated mechanism.

Figure 3 is transverse section through a binder embodying the invention.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the means for mounting a pair of springs.

In the drawing the reference numerals 2 and 3 indicate a pair of cover sections connected to a back section 4 by means of hinges 5. Each hinge 5 includes a leaf 6 embedded in the cover of the binder. A projection I is secured to the leaf 6 for a purpose hereinafter described. The projection I may be secured to the leaf 6 in any suitable manner, as by welding or riveting, or may be struck out of the leaf.

A sheath 8 is secured to the back section 4 at each edge thereof. The sheath 8 is recessed, as indicated at 9, to allow it to receive the ends of a plurality of posts Ill upon which a plurality of the pintle slide I2 form two springs, indicated .at 30 and 3I. mid-section of thespring wire 29 is bent, as shown at. 32,.to .adapt it tobe' held more securely by the loose leaves I I may be mounted. A pintle slide I2 is recessed, as indicated at I3, to provide a plurality of pintles I4 which are adapted to engage apertures I5 in the ends of the posts III to retain the leaves in position in the binder. The top 5 edges of the pintles are beveled, as indicated at I6, to facilitate engagement of the pintles I4 with the apertures I5.

One end of the sheath 8 is closed and a stud I1 is secured in the sheath adjacent the closed end. 10 A spring I8 has one end fixed to the stud I1 and the other end to the inner end of the pintle slide I2. The spring I8 exerts a constant force against the pintle slide I2 tending to move it to closed position. The pintle slide I 2 is provided with 15 a lug I9 by means of which it may be manually pulled to open position against the action of the spring I8. The lug I9 is removably secured to the pintle slide I2 by means of a screw 20.

The pintle slide I2 is provided with two notches 10 2| and 22 on its lower surface. A metal stirrup 23 is loosely mounted on the pintle slide I2 in proximity to the notch 2I. The sheath 8 is cut away, as indicated at 24, to accommodate the stirrup 23. The sheath 8 serves also to hold the 25 stirrup 23 against longitudinal movement with A metal plate 25 is welded to the sheath 8 so as to cover one side of the cut away portion 24 and to prevent sidewise movement of the stirrup 23.

A metal shield 26 is welded to the back section t adjacent the sheath 8. The shield 26 is pro vided with an upstanding flange 2! from which a pair of ears 28 project. The ears 28 serve to hold 'a spring wire 2.9 having its ends curved to The ears 28. Although a single spring wire 29 is shown, it is obvious that two individual springs 40 may be substituted therefor.

The spring 30 exerts constant pressure against the bottom wall of the stirrup 23 so as to hold it against the bottom surface of the pintle slide I2. Accordingly, when the pintle slide is moved 5 toward open position the spring 30 will force the stirrup 23 into the notch 2I when they become aligned. In this position, as shown in Figure 2,

the stirrup holds the pintle slide in latching position. '0

If desired the notch 2I could be of substantially the same width as the stirrup 23 and so positioned that when the two are in alignment the pintle slide I2 would be in fully open position. It is preferred, however, as shown in Fig- 56 ure 2, to position the notch 2I so that the stirrup will hold the pintle slide in position with the ends of the pintles I4 projecting slightly into the recesses'il. 'Ihe'notch 2I is slightly wider than the stirrup 23 in order that the pintle slide I2 may be manually moved to fully open position so that the pintles I4 may be disengaged entirely from the apertures I5 and the leaves II may be accessible for desired changes. As soon as the pintle slide I2 is released, the spring I8 will pull. it towards closed position and will retur it to r the latching position indicated in Figure 2.

It is preferred to retain the pintle slide I2 in the position shown in Figure 2, rather than in fully open position because of'the greater facility with which the pintles I4 may be aligned with the apertures I5. When the beveled edgesIIi of the pintles engage the sides of the pins I0 they force the pintles I4 to open position until the pintles are aligned with the apertures I5 when the spring I8 pulls the pintles to latching position.

When the stirrup 23 is pushed out of the notch 2i againstthe pressure of the spring 30, the ac- :tion of the spring I8 automatically pulls the pintle slide I2 to fully closed position. The projection 1 is so positioned, as shown in Figure 3, that it engages with the top of the stirrup .23 when the cover is closed. This structure insures automatic closing of the pintle slide I2 whenever 1 the cover is closed.

7 w The spring BI is adapted to engage with the notch 22 to serve as a permanent lockfor the pintle slide I2 when it is no longer necessary to remove or insert leaves in the binder. Once the spring 3| has moved into engagement with the slot 22 it cannot be disengaged without destruction of the binder. When the pintle slide I2 is moved to closed position the lug I9 abuts the end of the sheath 8 before the endof the spring 3| snaps into the notch 22. When it is desired to lock the binder permanently, the lug I9 is re- "the appended claims.

7 I claim: 7

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, means 7 for holding said slide in latching position, and

' said binder is closed.

automatic means ,for releasing said first mentioned'means from holding position when said binder is closed.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, means for holding said slide in latching position, and means for releasing said first mentioned means I from holding position, said first mentioned means including automatic means for moving said slide to closed position when said first mentioned means is released from holding position. 3'. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, and

means for holding said slide in latching position,

said holding means including automatic means for moving said slide to closed position when 4. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pintle slide,

7 means for holding said'slide in latching position, and means on said cover for automatically releasing said first-mentioned means from holding position when said cover is moved to closed position.

5. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pintle slide, means for holding said slide in latching position, and means on said cover for automatically 6 releasing said first mentioned means from holding position when said cover isclosed, said first mentioned means including means for automatically moving said slide to closed position when said first-mentioned means is releasedlO from holding position.

6. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pintle slide, means for holding said slide in latching position, and means for releasing said first mentioned means from holding position, said first mentioned 15 means including means for moving said slide to closed position, said second mentioned means and said last mentioned means being actuated automatically upon movement of said cover to closed position.

7. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, removable means on said slide for moving said slide 1 to open position, and means to holdsaid slide in latching position, said holding means including automatic means for moving said slide to 35 closed position upon closing said binder, said last mentioned means being further adapted to move said slide to permanently locked position when said first mentioned means has been removed from said slide.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a notched pintle slide, a spring pressed stirrup adapted to engage with a notch in said slide to aid in holding said slide in latching position, and means automatically moving said stirrup out of engage- 35 ment with saidnotch when said cover is moved to closed position.

9. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide having a notch therein, a spring pressed stirrup adapted to engage with said notch to aid in holding said slide in latching position, means for moving said stirrup out of engagement, withsaid notch, and automatic means for moving said slide to closed position'when said stirrup is moved out of engagement with said notch. v

10. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pintle slide having a notch therein, a spring pressed stirrup adapted to engage with said notch to aid in holding said slide in latching position, means automatically moving said stirrup out of engagement 50 with said notch when said cover is moved to closed position, and means automatically moving said slide to closed position when said stirrup is moved out of engagement with said notch.

11. In a loose leaf binder, a notched pintle slide, 55

spring pressed means adapted to engage one 'notch in said slide to aid in holding said slide in rup mounted on said slide, and a single wire hav- 7 0 ing a spring action at each end, one end of said wire being operable to cooperate with said stirrup to aid in holding said slide in latching position, and the opposite end of said wire being operable to lock said slide permanently.

14. In a loose leaf binder, a sheath, a pintle slide movable in said sheath, a stirrup mounted on said slide, and a shield carrying a spring wire secured adjacent said sheath, one end of said wire being operable to cooperate with said slide to aid in holding said slide in latching position, and the other end of said wire constituting a permanent lock for said slide.

15. In a loose leaf binder, a cover, a pintle slide, a stirrup mounted on said slide and held against longitudinal movement, means for moving said slide longitudinally between open and closed position, said stirrup being adapted to aid in holding said slide in latching position, and means automatcally moving said stirrup out of holding position when said cover is closed.

16. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide housed in a sheath, a spring having one end secured to said pintle slide and one end to said sheath, means for manually moving said slide to open position against the action of said spring, and means adapted to cooperate with said spring to hold said slide in latching position after said first mentioned means is released.

17. In a loose leaf binder, a pintle slide, means tending to move said pintle slide to closed position, and a spring pressed stirrup adapted to cooperate with said above mentioned means to hold said slide in latching position. 10

prevent movement of said slide to closed posi- 15 tion, and means automatically moving said stirrup out 01 engagement with said notch when said cover is moved to closed position.

PAUL O. UNGER. 

